' I'AGE VE FERNS OUAL
tbnner March of Dimes Poster Boy ........
Is Part of Twin Medical Problem
3 J denticaI twins are sup-
pc:ed to be carbon copies of
each other in every respect
bu; twin brothers Joe!_and
" Jeitrey Kirker, 6, New "'Stan-:
i
ron, Pa.,. have been cruelly
different from birth.
Joel, the older brother by five
i minutes, was Imrn with an open
spioe {spina bitida), a birth de-
, feet that has paralyzed tiim
from the waist down. At the
l same spot on his back, Jeff has
only a birthmark.
"When Jeff doesn't feel well,
i he gets two blisters on his birth-
mark, otherwise he is a normal,
very active little boy," says his
i mother. Mrs. Thomas Kirker.
Understandably, the young
Kirkers pose a medical puzzle.
As their mother puts it, special-
ists are "amazed that only one
has the defect and not the other"
] or else are "quite lost for words'-'
I to explain the crippling differ-
, ences in'these identical twins.
1 Yet Mrs. Kirker says, "We
feel we have a great deal to be
] thankful for because Joel is do-
| ing well and we can lmpe for
l even more improvement in the
futlre."
• I)espite his physical handicap,
Joe! gets around quite a bit.
During January, 1966, he was
Pennsylvania State Poster Boy
for the March of Dimes camp- "T ' ' "
• " ............ i hat s OK, Joel, even astronauts need help wtth their gear some-
,atgr tO ngtl[ Dlrn (lelec[s. 11)S • ts
"" '" ': - ; ......... ,,ll ttmes, says Jeff g,rker, 6, of New $tanfon, Pa, as he helps hi,
13leans lnat ,Joel iravete(l LllrOIll4 .. ..... '
ment,ca! twin Joel rote h,s br e$
a number of counties in his area I "
lind even appearetl on u tele- ,,, ...... , .,. ,, ...........
' thin, in Piltsburgh. I wmmut reneL tins pressure can re mvarmo, y takes ore In x, zmt
all the other campers, one by
Now as they watch the twins lead to permanent mental dam-
pretending they're big leaguers age. blindness or even death.
or playing togetlier on the hack- For Joel's parents, tim past
yard slide, Mr. anti Mrs. Kirker six years have been times of
great emotional anguish, to say
re,thing of financial strain• Mr.
Kirker has worked for the Bell
Telephone Corot)any since he
graduated from McKeesport
Technical High School in 1950.
In addition to caring for the
(win and keei)in; house, Mrs.
Kirker seUs kitchenware to sup-
p[ement her husbands Income
and help with medical expenses.
The Kirkers are deeply grateful
to the local chapter of the
March of Dimes which helped
pay Joel's hospital bills and
covers the cost of braces which
must be changed perio<lieally.
Brace or not. Joel loves it
van al)preciate all the things
Joel can do even thongh he
wears braces slid uses a cone.
They are thankful ftw the skilled
wdi<'al care Joel received from
the day of birth. \\;Vilhout that
care. d,el might not be Mi',•e to-
dav.
When Joel wa only one day
old. his open spine was operated
upon to give his m)inal cord
some Irotection. While sm'geons
coukl not restore the function of
, "(
nerves anti pmsc,cs, they (hi
prevcn# further complicatlons•
"the most dangerous being infec-
tions such as meningitis.
Like many other victims of
tpen spine. Joel also iad hy- when the family pile into their
drocephalus ("water on the ] trailer and set out on a camping
brain"). Dim,ors performed sev-] lrip, sornethhg all the Kir.kers
eral operations to drain off thel enjoy. P/[sen they settle m a
dammed-up fluid within the eamlmite, the whole family
brain and thus relieve pressure. I knows what to expect from Joel.
Area Men In Service
one. He loves to meet and chat
with other people, even if it
means climhing hills and fight-
ing the underbrush every step
of the way.
The twins can take care of
each other pretty well these
days. Joel can put on his braee
lor himself but sometimes Jeff
helps him. Active. outgoing Jetf
helps his quieter, more thought-
ful brother in other ways. tot).
A firm '3 think you'll like this.
Joel." from Jeff often helps Joel
make a decision in favor of
places or things. This sort of
fraternal influence leads Mrs.
Kirker to tell friends that Joel's
"twin brother is his therapist.'"
By this time. the Kirkers
know what Joel can do and they
avoid overprotectiveness ' which
couhl he harmful to lmth boys.
His doctors hope that when
Joel is about 14. surgery can be
performed that will make the
leg braces unne,,','
i Eden Chapel
News
JANIARy 5,
Perkins :
Area Ncw00
By Ruby Disney
Dr. and Mrs. Ewing and faro- * ':: *
ily spent Christmas holidays in Sunday dinner guests
KeoKuk, Iowa with Mrs. Ewings
sister and family, Mr. and Mrs.
Raymond Geoke and children.
* ::: * .
Mr and Mrs. John Huekabay
of Missouri were visiting friends
in Perkins.
.-.': , *
Nelson home were: Mrs.
Thec, Mrs. Regina
Theresa, Kay and Keith oil
homa City, Mr. and Mrs.
TiIman of Owasso, Mr. and
Bill Hughes, Dayna and
Perkins and the
Pat and Kana, Mrs. Eli
Mr• and Mrs• M. O• Dumas and visited in the afternoon,
Pat of Mt• Iron, Minn. visited i * * *
Dr and Mrs Ewing and other M
• ' s I r. and Mrs. Grady
friends over the holiday'• [spent Christmas, Sunday.
• * "': . }Monday in Medford, with
Holiday guests at the StameY{Mrs "Leroy Warren .,a t
{home were: Mr. and Mrs. DoyleIKatlay and Connie WI'en
Molen, Stanley, Kirby and Logan'the week
lof Fresno, Calif., Mr. and MrS.IGardner with Mr. and Mrs.
• Mr. and -Mrs.
Wayne F laherty of Ir'ing, Txas, i Warre n and David visited
Mr oie tcarson oi ew lOrK t, StV, Mrs Gra n-- "-- -
"" ...... " .... "I ' " u¢ ,artmer
lrs. lenoa i,Kington oi lVll - , , :
]Francis Hunt and three daughter
of Choctaw, Mr. and Mrs. Russell i Those spending New
'wnnkee Wisconsin, Mr and Mrs.!at the W. O. Ball home
McGehee, Mickey and Cindy of iand Mrs. Ray Baggett, and
Ponca City, Edgar Vanzandt,ters, Kay, Robin and Pat
Larry, Jerry and Dan and Mr. Mr. and Mrs. Wilbert Fisher
and Mrs. Adrian, Stanley, and Grady Gardner and Kathy
LaNita of Stillwater, Mr. and Connie Warren.
Mrs. (lien Carson, Mr. and Mrs.' * * *
Don Mercer and Debbie and Mrs. Mr. and Mrs. Ray Ba
Cecil Henry of Perkins. Edmond, Kay Pat and
':: ':: ':: Gofford of Houston, Mrs.
Holiday guests of Mr. and Mrs. iGardner, and Kathy and
Merrcll Butler were: Mr. and Mrs. Warren of Medford visited
!Doyle Butler and children Bobby, home ot • Mr. and Mrs•
Terry and Beverely of Stillwater. Stout Saturday.
Mr. and Mrs. John E. Suderman ::, * .
of Isbella. Mr. and Mrs. Bob
Thomas of Durant, Mr. and Mrs. A Birthday di,lner was
Jack Baker of Houston, Texa:s for Mrs. Edith Murlin
and Mrs. Erma Shatter of Per-lit the ])o/no of /|r. and
kins. (;rill: Jones, tawsts were: Mr.
• * * Nlrs. Ah'a Mtn'lin, Mr. and
Christmas dinner guests of Mr. Earl XVriht and
and Mrs. Charlie Gray of Still-
water, were: Mr. and Mrs. Merrell tel', Bonny, Xh'. and Airs.
Butler, Mr. and Mrs. Doyle Butler Shm'pton and family, and
land children, Mr. and Mrs. John,and Mrs. Orvalec Borer
iE. Suderman of Isbella and Mr fi, milv, Mrs Xhn.l; .... LX ,.t
iand Mrs Chmlie Gaa5 " tel ,t "C tJ .......... v ,"
" " .... • ' " ': 1 fi'om her son Mr,
i Mr. and Mrs. Charles Lee Nel-{ Mrs' Don Murlin in
son and Kana of Hart. Texas wishing her a Ilgappy
visited this past week with lris * • '
[parents Mr. and Mrs. Lee Roy: Sgt. and Mrs. Jim Potter
:Nelson. Dorothy and Mary Jean irls called on Mr. and Mrs.
i and Mr. and Mrs. Bill Hughes. tMurlin Friday morning.
By Donna Murlin
Those slen(lin Stmdav with
Mr. and Mrs. "Frank ]ha'to,l:
were: Mr. and Mrs. Lee Dovh
land boys, Mrs. Anita I lenson and
I<latght(,r, Mr. and Mrs. VVaxno
ih,rton and famih' and Ml', and
tMrs. Joe burton."
Monday visitors of hi,'. and
Xls. I<,htl (),re,an were: Mr. al,d
Dear
Flabb
Sergeant Suit
I Xl,'s. I:,'ank Ililho,,se and grand- Dear Flal>l,v: fi,,d someor, e else.
i da''ghter. 1 have this ln'<d)lem, lw(> dif-' Flal)l)v
Rev. and Mrs. Van Nickels fercnt men are asking mc to mar-
called on Mr. and M,;s. Max rvthem. Fred is handsome, dash-
Nickels Mu,,(la and enii>yed log and r<),,lat/('. Joh,, is dcl)en-
watchi,, thc lh)sc Pro'ado (,,, al>le and steady. Fred has a
{color TV. ,sports car a,,d it rood suit, John
I
Mr• and Mrs Eugene Rilh.v:: has a 12.000.{X} bank account and
and family (,f Woodward an£t owns a newsl)al)cr, which one
.Xh'. a,,d "Mrs. Joe Etheridc shot,hi I marry?ll
Ispent Smtdav with Mr. and Nlrs. Sined Sam
Wayne Tavl)r and famih'.
Mr. and Mrs Charles Mm'lin l)ear Sam:
of Bethany. spent Monday with, Tell them 1,,th to ¢(,l lo.t and
Curtis
Electric Motor
Sales & Service
Mr. and .Mrs. Alva Murlin. I,ee
.- Army Sergeant Major Donald ed affair.¢ to the chief of staff of land Mrs. Edith Mt,rlin. Lela hi-
G. Salt. {right), whose parents,' the A:my.
vir. vnd Mrs. Raymond Lunday, l The conference, which included man ca]ed in the afternoon.
ve m Yale Okla, is dmeussmg to t
• " , • " " " p'es ranging from personnell . .
• : . " { Mrs. John Inman visited Wed-
A, my policies and procedures;managemerit to uniform insignia, ,,esdav with Mr and M,-o
affeefig enlisted personnel withwas held" at the Pentagon, Wasll-'x,:,, " . .. • " • .,. AMos
, ,xnner of Stilhvatei
,(.:,:ant Major of the Army ington. D.C., from November 28- ' " "
'Dear Flabby.
My wife complains all
about my drinking
Flabby, don't take me
only drink scotch before
dinner, and at parties.
quit drinking scotch
Dear Puzzled, t ides
No. I advise Rum or Be. lale
t g3
t
iilii ,
BRADLEY'S
Plumbing,
& Air Condition
Over 30 years
in Stillwater
A tl.am O. Wooldridge at the first:30, 1966. ! Mr. and Mrs. James Etheridge
,e:eants ma)or conference spon- I Sgt. Sult, who is serving withlvisitcd :Mr. and Mrs. Howardi|
oto n me Army Head 1601 E. 6th II
:" " " I quarters, Eighth U.S. Armyl|TA]leridg e Monday. I ii FR 2-4131
Sergeant Major Wooldridge,. in Korea, was last assigned at Ft. Ban-eft Needles siat Tuda STIIWATER
,vh ',VnS appoin,ed as the first Sill, Okla. " " '1 - 3W. 8th
e, geant major of the Army this His wife. Jeannine. live at 5 mght with Mr aud Mrs. Ah'a FR ' 21
2era, :erves as advisor on enlist- Holly Lane, Stillwater, Okla. Murlbl and Let. -ll '}' t
